Code-responsive control receiving system

ABSTRACT

A code-responsive control receiving system for response to a preselectable code combination operates on the pulse interval principle and has a polarized command relay with differential windings which have one energizing lead in common. In the receiver system, a pulse circuit is supplied with pulse sequences of active and passive preselection pulses for the preselection of the code combination. A synchronous selector has switching members for selectively connecting the respective windings of the command relay to the pulse circuit. The switching members of the selector comprise preselector contacts proper, main contacts and quenching contacts. A receiver relay is provided with make contacts which close in accordance with the rhythm of the arriving pulses and connect the pulse circuit to a direct voltage source when the make contact closes. The main contacts are connected in the separate leads of the relay windings, and a switching device, preferably a transistor, is connected in the common lead of the windings. The switching device is controlled by the preselector and quenching contacts. A bistable flip flops circuit has two trigger control circuits and has an output connected to the switching device so as to control the switching operation thereof. One of the control input or trigger circuits is connected through the quenching contact to one pole of the direct voltage source. The other control input circuit of the flip flop circuit is connected through the preselector contacts to the pulse circuit.

United States Patent Steinlein [5 4] CODE-RESPONSIVE CONTROL RECEIVING SYSTEM [72] Inventor: Hans-Wolfgang Stelnlein, Numberg, Germany [73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengwellschait, Berlin and Munich, Germany [22] Filed: March 29, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 128,682

is] 3,678,460 [451 July 18, 1972 Primary ExaminerJ. D. Miller Assistant Examiner-Harry E. Moose, Jr.

Attorney-Curt M. Avery, Arthur E. Wilfond, Herbert L. Lerner and Daniel J. Tick [57] ABSTRACT A code-responsive control receiving system for response to a preselectable code combination operates on the pulse interval principle and has a polarized command relay with differential windings which have one energizing lead in common. In the receiver system, a pulse circuit is supplied with pulse sequences of active and passive preselection pulses for the preselection of the code combination. A synchronous selector has switching members for selectively connecting the respective windings of the command relay to the pulse circuit. The switching members of the selector comprise preselector contacts proper, main contacts and quenching contacts. A receiver relay is provided with make contacts which close in accordance with the rhythm of the arriving pulses and connect the pulse circuit to a direct voltage source when the make contact closes. The main contacts are connected in the separate leads of the relay windings, and a switching device, preferably a transistor, is connected in the common lead of the windings. The switching device is controlled by the preselector and quenching contacts. A bistable flip flops circuit has two trigger control circuits and has an output connected to the switching device so as to control the switching operation thereof. One of the control input or trigger circuits is connected through the quenching contact to one pole of the direct voltage source. The other control input circuit of the flip flop circuit is connected through the preselector contacts to the pulse circuit.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL18I972 SHEET 2 0F 3 Fig. 4

PATENIED JUL1 8 m2 SHEET 3 OF 3 Fig.5

CODE-RESPONSIVE CONTROL RECEIVING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a control receiver system for response to a preselectable code combination which operates on the pulse interval principle, and more particularly to a control receiving system of the type illustrated and described in my copending application Ser. No. 122,828, filed Mar. 10, 1971, to which the present application is related and to which reference may be had for additional or incidental disclosure not essential to the illustration and description of the present invention proper.

In a receiver system of the type of the invention, a pulse circuit is connected to one of the two poles of a direct voltage source through a make or normally open contact, also called a closer, of a receiving relay in the rhythm of the incoming preselection and control process. The receiving system is equipped with a selector which has a continuously rotating, synchronously driven, selector disc with which a movable switching arm is coupled in response to a starting pulse. Preselector, main and quenching contacts are arranged concentrically about the selector disc and are actuated by the switching arm during its rotation. The main contacts are connected in the separate connecting leads of the command relay windings, this relay being polarized, whereas the common connecting lead of these windings contains a switching device controlled by the preselection and quenching contacts.

In the disclosure of the aforedescribed pending application, the switching device in the common lead of the two command relay windings consists substantially of a thryistor which is ignited, fired or triggered by a preselector pulse that arrives during the closing direction of the preselector contact member and thereby releases the command relay for a subsequent actuation by means of a corresponding control pulse. This circuit system is applicable for any types of preselection which operate with active preselector pulses; that is, the active pulses must arrive during the closing interval of the preselector contact member in the synchronous switch. This system, however, is not suitable for types of preselection that operate with passive preselection pulses, such as is the case for purposes of supervised preselection and inverse preselection. The term passive preselection pulse is understood to refer to preselector pulses which do not arrive during the closing interval of a preselector contact. When, however, a pulse arrives during this interval, it has the effect that all of the next-following pulses of the code are not intended for the particular coderesponsive receiver system, and hence that this system is not supposed to respond.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit system of the aforedescribed general type, which is relatively simple with respect to its design, but which offers a greater versatility than those heretofore disclosed, and which, more specifically, is applicable for all of the aforedescribed types of preselection.

To this end, and in accordance with a feature of my invention, I provide the code-responsive control receiver system with at least one bistable switching device which controls the switching operation of the switch device connected in the common feed lead of the differential working windings of a command relay. One of the two triggering control circuits of the bistable circuit is connectable with the pulse circuit through the preselection contact member of the selector. The other triggering control circuit of the bistable circuit is connected through the quenching contact member to a first terminal or pole of the direct voltage source.

According to another feature of the invention, affording a particularly simple and advantageous embodiment, the aforedescribed switching device in the common lead of the command relay windings is constituted by the collectoremitter path of a blocking transistor whose base electrode is connected to the emitter electrode of one of the transistors appertaining to the bistable switching device. The bistable switching device is a transistorized flip flop circuit.

The aforedescribed and further objects, advantages and features of my invention, said features being set forth with particularity in the claims annexed hereto, will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of the essential portion of a system of the invention, applicable with types of preselection which operate with active preselection pulses;

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of another system, similar to that of FIG. 1, but modified for types of preselection operating with passive preselection pulses;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram corresponding to that of FIG. I, but also showing the primary receiving portion of a coderesponsive receiver;

FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram of the system of FIGS. 1 and 2 for permitting a combination preselection; and

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a primary receiver portion, corresponding to that diagrammatically indicated in FIG. 3, the primary portion being applicable with any of the embodiments shown in FIGS. I to 4.

Corresponding items are denoted in all illustrations by the same reference characters, respectively. The resistors identified by a prime differ from the correspondingly denoted resistors only by having different resistance values.

Referring first to FIGS. 3 and 5, it should be understood that, by means of a primary receiving portion, which is not illustrated except for the output terminals TA and TB of a coderesponsive receiver, a receiver relay ER is switched on upon arrival of a preselector pulse and remains picked up for the duration of the pulse. The relay ER has two make contacts r (FIG. 5) and r (FIGS. 1 to 3). The normally open make contact (closer) r of relay ER connects a coupling magnet KM in the rhythm of the received pulses across the positive and negative poles of a direct voltage source (FIG. 5). The coupling magnet KM serves to couple a switching arm SA with a synchronous selector disc S which continuously rotates and is driven by a synchronous motor M. A starting pulse transmitted to the receiving system at the beginning of a control operation causes the receiver relay ER to respond with the effect that the coupling magnet KM causes the switch arm SA,

to engage the synchronous selector disc S which entrains the arm for one full rotation of the selector disc.

Connected to the positive pole of the direct voltage source G through the make contact r', when closed, is a quenching combination formed of a resistor R30 and a capacitor C30 for smoothing the rectified alternating voltage. The terminals A and B of FIG. 5 are identical with, or connected to, the respective input terminals, denoted also by A and B in FIGS. 1 to 3. These terminals are in connection with the positive pole and negative pole, respectively, of the DC voltage source G.

In the circuit of FIG. I, the closing of the make contacts r of the receiving relay ER connects the positive pole of the voltage source G (FIG. 5) to a pulse circuit PC. Connected to the pulse circuit PC through a preselector contact member mv and a resistor R9 (corresponding to R9 in FIG. 2) is the control input ll of a bistable flip flop stage composed of resistors Rl to R6 (or R1 to R6 in FIG. 2), transistors TI and T2 and a capacitor CI. The other control input I is connected to the positive pole of the direct voltage source G through a resistor R8 (R8' in FIG. 2) and through a quenching contact member ml.

The capacitor C1 is connected between the control input II and the emitter electrode of the transistor T2 which, in turn, is connected to a circuit point y. When the receiver is switched on, the base-emitter path of the transistor T2, at the first instant, is short-circuited through the capacitor C1, so that the transistor T1 is turned on and the bistable flip flop is triggered to its stable starting state. The resistors R1 to R6 (Rl' to R6 in FIG. 2) are so rated relative to one another that the transistor T1 is turned on first, even when the voltage applied to the connecting terminals A and B increases slowly, as is the case when this voltage is controlled or regulated in accordance with such a slow increase.

The emitter electrode of the transistor T1 is connected to a point x of the circuit. The command relay KR is connectable to the pulse circuit PC through ON-OFF contact members me and ma of the aforedescribed synchronous selector. The collector-emitter path of a blocking transistor T3 is connected in the circuit of the command relay KR. A resistor R7 (R7 in FIG. 2) is connected in parallel with the base-emitter path of the blocking transistor T3. A discharge conducting resistor R13, of a higher resistance value than the other resistors of the circuit, connects the pulse circuit PC to the negative pole or terminal B of the direct voltage source of the system.

If this circuit system is to be used with a type of preselection source (FIG. 2). In both cases, the other connecting point is directly connected to the negative pole B of the voltage source. As far as the mechanical design of the circuit system is concerned, the same substrate or component and conductorcarrying plate may be used.

The'circuit of FIG. 1' is particularly well suitable in cases where a supervision of the preselection is desired. For such cases, and as shown, a supervising contact member mu1 has one of itsconnecting terminals connected to the pulse circuit PC whereas the other terminal is connected between the quenching contact member m1 and the resistor R8. If, as shown in FIG. 2, supervisory contact member mu2 is connected in parallel to thepreselector contact member mv, the measuring of the start-pulse length is afforded in a simple manner. As mentioned, in the starting condition or state of the transistor T1, said transistor is turned on. Consequently, in the circuit system of FIG. 1, the transistor T2 and the blocking transistor T3 are turned off.

When the preselector contact member mv is then actuated, and when during its closing interval a preselector pulse is received, thebistable flip flop circuit is triggered to its other condition or state so that the blocking transistor T3 is turned on or becomes conductive. The circuit of the command relay KR is thus closed up to the contact path of the on and off contact members me and ma. When a control pulse arrives during the closing interval of these contact members, the command relay KR switches a load on or off in accordance with the control pulse. At the end of a control performance, the quenching contact member m1 is actuated, whereby the control input I is connected to the positive pole or terminal A of the direct voltage source, and the bistable flip flop circuit is triggered back to its starting condition or state.

The supervisory contact member mul, which is located in the selector mechanism directly behind the preselector contact member mv, permits supervising of the preselection. That is, if a preselection pulse occurs during the closing interval of the preselection contact member mv and if this pulse is still effective during the closing interval of the supervisory contact member mu1,'or if a new pulse arrives during the closing duration of the supervisory contact member mul, then the flip flop stage, previously triggered to its second stage by the pulse received through the preselector contact member mv, is again triggered back to its starting state. This immediately blocks the blocking transistor T3, and the command relay KR cannot issue a switching command during this control operation.

In the circuit system of FIG. 2, the blocking transistor T3 and its parallel resistor R7 are connected to the transistor T1 which in the starting state is turned on. The blocking transistor T3 is therefore also turned on. In order to enable the command relay KR of such a receiver to issue a switching command, no preselection pulse must arrive during the closing interval of the preselection contact member mv. If, however,

such a pulse arrives during this interval, the transmitted control signal is not intended for this particular receiver system,

and the command relay KR therefore must not issue a switching command. This is the case in the described circuit system due to the fact that a preselection pulse arriving during the closing duration of the preselector contact member mv switches the bistable flip flop stage to its other state and thus blocks or turns ofi the transistor T1 and the blocking transistor T3. This interrupts the circuit of the command relay for the residual duration of the control performance. The quenching contact member ml triggers the bistable flip flop stage back to its starting state at the end of the control performance.

. By adding a parallel connected supervisory contact member mu2, to the preselector contact meinber mv, as shown, the circuit permits duration of the start pulse to be measured in a particularly simple manner. This is because the supervisory contact member mu2 is spatially arranged directly behind the starting locality of the switch arm (SA in FIG. 5). In the circuit of FIG. 2, a preselection pulse which arrives during the closing interval of the preselector contact member mv reverses the bistable flip flop stage, so that the transistor T1 and the blocking transistor T3 are turned off. Thus, the circuit of the command relay is interrupted for the residual duration of the control performance.

At the end of the control performance, the quenching contact member m1 is active to trigger the bistable flip flop stage back to the starting state. The supervisory contact member mu2 connected in parallel to the preselector contact member mv permits measuring the length of the starting pulse in a particularly simple manner. That is, if the starting pulse remains in efiect during the closing duration of the supervisory contact member mu2, which is spatially arranged directly behind the starting position of the switch arm SA (FIG. 1), then the flip flop stage is triggered and the blocking transistor T3 is turned ofi. Thereafter the command relay KR cannot issue a I switching command.

FIG. 3 shows the connection of the circuit of FIG. 1 to the receiving portion of the system. The receiving portion comprises a band filter BF which has one of its output terminals or poles connected to the control input of a Class B amplifier stage comprising a transistor T11 and a resistor R12, the other connecting terminal or pole of the filter being connected to the negative terminal or pole of the direct voltage source. Consequently, the pulses superimposed upon-the line voltage are filtered out by the band filter BF and are supplied to the Class B amplifier stage which excites the receiving relay ER in the rhythm of the pulses.

The receiving relay ER closes its make contacts r and thus connects the coupling magnet KM to voltage. As hereinbefore explained, the magnet KM couples a switch arm (SA in FIG. 5) with a synchronous electrical disc driven continuously by a synchronous motor. Connected in parallel with the coupling magnet KM is a quenching combination R11 and C1 1. A diode D1 serves to decouple the connecting point of the magnet KM and the resistance-capacitance combination R1 1, C11 from the remaining components of the pulse circuit PC, so that the negative voltage peaks occurring during switching off of the coupling magnet KM cannot cause any faulty releases.

Charges which occur are drained to the negative terminal of the circuit to prevent uncontrolled charging-of the pulse circuit PC behind the diode D1. The charges are drained through a drain resistor R13 to the negative terminal. The resistor R13 is connected between the pulse circuit PC and the negative terminal.

The embodiment of FIG. 4 shows how the circuit of the invention is applicable for forming a circuit combination suitable for a preselection of the combination type. The circuit system of FIG. 4, for the purpose of explanation, is subdivided by two vertical dot and dash lines into three portions denoted as a whole by 1, 2 and 3, respectively. In the circuit portions 1 and 2 of this combination system, the blocking transistor T3, as in FIG. 2, is connected to the circuit point x. The circuit portion 3 corresponds to the one shown in FIG. 1. The collector-emitter paths of the blocking transistors T3 of the two circuit portions 1 and 2 are connected in parallel relation between the base electrode of the blocking transistor T3 of the circuit portion 3, on the one hand, and the negative pole of the direct voltage source, on the other hand. The collectoremitter path of the blocking transistor T3 of the circuit portion 3 is connected in the circuit of the command relay KR.

In the starting state of the circuit system, the transistors T1 in the circuit portions 1 and 2, and consequently also the blocking transistors T3, are turned on. The base electrode of the transistor T2 in the circuit portion 3 is consequently connected to the negative potential of the voltage source through the collector-emitter path of said blocking transistors. Hence, the transistor T2 and the blocking transistor T3, controlled by T2, are turned off in the circuit portion 3. If the particular code-responsive receiver system is to be called, a preselection pulse combination must be transmitted whose individual preselection pulses will arrive at a time when one of the preselection contact members mvl, mv2, mv3 is closed. The preselectioncontact member mv3 of the circuit portion 3 is that which must-be actuated last.

. The preselection pulses arriving during the closing interva of the preselection contact members mvl and mv2 cause the flip flop stages of the. two circuit portions 1 and 2 to be triggered, so that the blocking transistors T3 connected to said flip flop stages are blocked. This eliminates the direct connection of the base electrode of the transistor T2 to the negative terminal or pole of the circuit portion 3, so that the transistor T2 can be tume'd on by a preselection pulse arriving during the closing duration of the preselection contact member mv3, thereby also turning on the blocking transistor T3 in the circuit portion 3. The command relay KR is then released for issuing a switching command.

At the end of a control performance, the flip flop stages of the circuit portions 1 to 3 are triggered back to their respective starting states. For this purpose, the transistors T2 of each of the three circuit portions 1,2 and 3 have their base electrodes connected to a quenching circuit which can be connected through the quenching contact ml to the positive pole of the voltage source. To prevent a mutual influence of the system portions, the quenching circuits are provided with respective decoupling diodes D2.

Circuit systems of the invention also afford thebuilding up of circuit combinations that respond to pulse combinations consisting of active and passive preselection pulses. lf one of the circuits portions 1 or 2 of FIG. 4 is to respond to a passive pulse, then the blocking transistor T3 and its parallel resistor R7 must be connected to the other transistor of a particular switching arrangement, that is, the connection of the blocking transistor T3 is then to be removed from the point x to the connection point y. By the addition of more circuit portions of the invention, the number of possible preselection pulse combinations can be further increased in an analogous manner.

According to another modification of the invention, the switching device in the common connecting lead of the two windings in the command relay KR may consist of a reversing contact member of a polarized relay. In this modification, the preselection contact member mv and the quenching contact member ml are connected in the respective separate connecting leads to the two relay windings. Thus, the relay, when receiving a preselection pulse during the closing duration of the preselector contact member, is switched from one to the other state and thus operates to close the circuit of the command relay KR. At the end of the control operation, the other working winding of the comman relay is connected to the source of voltage through the quenching contact member, so that the polarized relay switches to its other state.

To those skilled in the art it will be obvious upon a study of this disclosure that my invention permits of various modifications other than those illustrated and described herein, without departing from the scope of the invention, as set forth in the claims annexed hereto.

lclaim:

1. A code-responsive control receiving system for response to a preselectable code combination which operates on the pulse interval principle and has a polarized command relay, said code-responsive control receiving system comprising a pulse circuit with pulse sequences of active and passive preselection pulses for the preselection of the code combination, a synchronous selector and switching members actuable by said selector to connect said command relay to said pulse circuit, said switching members comprising preselector contact means, main contact means and quenching contact means, a receiver input circuit having a receiver relay with make contact means responsive to the rhythm of the arriving preselector and control pulses, a direct voltage source having two poles, said pulse circuit being connected to one of said poles when said make contact means is closed, said command relay having two differential working coils which have separate feeder leads and a common lead, main contact means being connected in said separate leads respectively, a switching device being connected in said common lead and controlled by said preselector and quenching contact means, bistable switching circuit means having two control input circuits and having an output connected to said switching device so as to control the switching thereof in combination with said preselector and quenching contact means one of said control input circuits being connected through said quenching contact means to said one pole of said direct voltage source, and said other control input circuit being connected through said preselector contact means to said pulse circuit.

2. in a code-responsive control receiving system according to claim 1, said bistable circuit means comprising a bistable flip flop having two alternately actuated transistors, a blocking transistor having a collector-emitter path which substantially constitutes said switching device, said blocking transistor having its base electrode connected to the emitter electrode of one of said flip flop transistors.

3. A code-responsive control receiving system according to claim 1 for supervised preselection, comprising a quenching circuit extending between the poles of said direct voltage source and comprising a resistor and said quenching contact means in series with said resistor, and a supervisory contact member connected between said pulse circuit and to said quenching circuit at a point between said resistor and said quenching contact means.

4. A eode-responsive control receiving system according to claim 1 with means for starting-pulse duration measuring means, comprising a supervisory contact member connected in parallel with said preselector contact means.

5. A code-responsive control receiving system according to claim 1, comprising a polarized relay having a switch-over contact member which forms said switching device. 

1. A code-responsive control receiving system for response to a preselectable code combination which operates on the pulse interval principle and has a polarized command relay, said coderesponsive control receiving system comprising a pulse circuit with pulse sequences of active and passive preselection pulses for the preselection of the code combination, a synchronous selector and switching members actuable by said selector to connect said command relay to said pulse circuit, said switching members comprising preselector contact means, main contact means and quenching contact means, a receiver input circuit having a receiver relay with make contact means responsive to the rhythm of the arriving preselector and control pulses, a direct voltage source having two poles, said pulse circuit being connected to one of said poles when said make contact means is closed, said command relay having two differential working coils which have separate feeder leads and a common lead, main contact means being connected in said separate leads respectively, a switching device being connected in said common lead and controlled by said preselector and quenching contact means, bistable switching circuit means having two control input circuits and having an output connected to said switching device so as to control the switching thereof in combination with said preselector and quenching contact means one of said control input circuits being connected through said quenching contact means to said one pole of said direct voltage source, and said other control input circuit being connected through said preselector contact means to said pulse circuit.
 2. In a code-responsive control receiving system according to claim 1, said bistable circuit means comprising a bistable flip flop having two alternately actuated transistors, a blocking transistor having a collector-emitter path which substantially constitutes said switching device, said blocking transistor having its base electrode connected to the emitter electrode of one of said flip flop transistors.
 3. A code-responsive control receiving system according to claim 1 for supervised preselection, comprising a quenching circuit extending between the poles of said direct voltage source and comprising a resistor and said quenching contact means in series with said resistor, and a supervisory contact member connected between said pulse circuit and to said quenching circuit at a point between said resistor and said quenching contact means.
 4. A code-responsive control receiving system according to claim 1 with means for starting-pulse duration measuring means, comprising a supervisory contact member connected in parallel with said preselector contact means.
 5. A code-responsive control receiving system according to claim 1, comprising a polarized relay having a switch-over contact member which forms said switching device. 